1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for collecting vehicle fluids such as automobile engine oil and for recycling same into the original oil containers. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved oil change container apparatus that includes a vessel having a reservoir with the vessel being adapted to assume a generally horizontal position during draining of the oil from the engine and a generally vertical position during a recycling of the collected engine oil into small containers such as the commonly used quart oil containers.
2. General Background
Many vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, fork lifts, lawn mowers and the like use common engine oil that must be changed on a regular basis. A typical interval for changing the oil of an automobile engine is three to five thousand (3,000-5,000) miles or three to five (3-5) months as an example. Engine oil can be changed at a facility that has a very large reservoir for containing large quantities of the engine oil so that it can be recycled at a later date. This is true of most automobile service stations, most automobile dealerships, and specialty quick-change service companies that typically only change engine oil in a very short period of time and at minimal expense.
Many individuals prefer to change their own engine oil because of the desire to control the quality of oil that is used, the time interval between oil changes, and simply for the convenience of changing engine oil at the home and in minimum time and with lesser expense. An environmental problem is created when individuals change engine oil and do not dispose of it properly. One of the most common and yet environmentally disastrous consequences of engine oil changes at the home involves the practice of draining the engine oil directly onto the earth's surface. While such a practice can be done in the remote corner of one's property, and covered with sand or gravel so as not to leave any visible scar, the engine oil seeps downwardly into the underlying soil, polluting the water table.
Engine oil can be carried by rain water into drainage ditches, storm sewers, and the like where it creates a very high chemical oxygen demand in lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. This problem is compounded by the fact that thousands of individuals in any particular city dispose of their engine oil directly onto the earth's surface or into drainage ditches, storm sewers or the like. A very small amount of engine oil pollutes a tremendous volume of fresh water. As an example, a single quart of engine oil that is dumped into a lake, river, drainage ditch or the like fouls and pollutes hundreds and possibly thousands of gallons of water.
One of the problems with the changing of engine oil at the home is that the individual is presented with a rather messy job once engine oil is drained into an open bucket or pan. The individual must transfer the oil to individual containers in which the oil was supplied such as one quart containers, by using a pouring spout, funnel, or like device. This procedure can spread engine oil over the drain pan onto the hands and clothing of the individual, and frequently oil can spill onto the sides of the container being used to recycle the oil. The user is required to often clean up the spilled oil using rags which must be disposed of, using clean water to wash clothes and hands generating a pollution problem.
Various devices have been patented which incorporate containers that are adapted to lay in a generally horizontal position for the purpose of collecting engine oil.
As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,584 issued to Hestehave; U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,841 issued to Sando; U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,599 issued to Hill; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,438 issued to Barts are all very similar devices that incorporate a generally rectangular container which lays on its side to collect oil and has an end cap which can be unscrewed to drain oil from the top of the container. There is commercially available a rectangular container that is also adapted to lay in a sideways or horizontal position and collect engine oil through the side of the container with a closure member to seal the side opening and with an end outlet having an end cap which can be used to dispense oil from the container once collected. These devices, lack any precise means of controlling flow from the container and therefore frequently result in a messy overflow of oil onto the containers that are receiving the recycled oil as well as onto the hands of the user and/or the surrounding soil or garage floor.
The Hestehave U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,584 has a removable screen which keeps the oil drain plug or oil filter from falling into the container. Once the container is filled, the screen can be removed and a screw end cap closes the container. The container can be transported with the recycled oil therein and by removing the end cap oil can be drained by tipping the container.
The Barts U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,438 discloses a rectangular container having a handle and an end cap at one end which lays flat and which receives draining oil from an engine into a small concave shaped opening located on the side of the container. A screen is used to keep the oil drain plug from falling into the container. Once the container is filled, the container can be tipped to drain recycled oil through a capped end portion on the top side of the container.
The Sando U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,841 discloses a rectangular container which has a concave side for oil to drain into the container while laying on its side. A plug is positioned to keep oil from coming back out of the container as it is tipped. This container has a handle and a capped end on the top of the container which pours oil out once you invert the container for draining.
The Hill U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,599 shows a rectangular container with a capped end on the side at one end of the container. When in the receiving position, there is a snap-on funnel plate which directs oil through the capped version of the container. Once oil draining is completed, the snap-on funnel is taken off and a cap is screwed into the hole. When draining oil from the container, the container must be tipped upside down and drained through the cap outlet.
The Maynard U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,947 shows a small oil container with a circular top having a screen to collect the oil drain plug and allow an oil filter to rest thereon for draining. It also provides a screw-on cap at one end portion so that the container can be inverted and the oil drained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,282 to Strange has a round drain pan with a funnel arrangement at one end. Using valves, oil enters a funnel section and then another valve at the end of the funnel allows oil to be drained into a recycling container such as a oil quart can.
The Eastom U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,647 disclosed a round oil drain tub. When the oil drain pan is filled, there is a top portion which has a funnel on one side. By snapping on the lid, the device can be inverted so that oil will drain out through the funneled spout. The Cody U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,973 discloses an automobile servicing system which uses a conveyer belt that moves an automobile over a surface pit area for servicing. Part of the system includes an oil catch pan for collecting used motor oil. The pan includes a drain on one side where used oil can drain from the pan down into a collecting chamber. Drain line includes a hose connecting the two containers.
Applicant is aware that certain prior art items of glassware and labware (such as burets, graduated cylinders, and funnels) use valves or stopcocks to meter flow into another container.